JP4579252B2 - Mirror surface angle adjustment device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mirror surface angle adjusting device.

  For example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-161123, a rear-viewing outer mirror provided on a side portion of an automobile incorporates a mirror surface angle adjustment device that holds the mirror in a tiltable manner.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the mirror surface angle adjusting device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-161123 is attached to the rear surface (front surface of the vehicle) of the mirror M, and the mirror M is mounted via the mirror holder Mh. A pivot plate Hc that holds the actuator and an actuator Ac that tiltably holds the pivot plate Hc are provided.

  The actuator Ac includes an annular receiving portion P having an inner peripheral surface formed into a spherical surface, and a rod Q that pushes and pulls the pivot plate Hc. As shown in FIG. A motor R for providing a driving force to the rod Q, and a worm wheel S and a worm T for transmitting the driving force of the motor R to the rod Q are provided.

  Further, the pivot plate Hc shown in FIG. 14 has an annular sliding portion P ′ that is slidably held by the receiving portion P, and a pair of engaging portions (not shown) with which the tips of the rods Q are engaged. And are formed.

  Then, when the rod Q is advanced and retracted by controlling the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the motor, the pivot plate Hc is tilted with respect to the actuator Ac.

  By the way, in this mirror surface angle adjusting device, as shown in FIG. 15, an annular (cylindrical) gear receiving portion U1 for supporting the worm wheel S is formed in the housing U of the actuator Ac.

  However, since the gear receiving portion U1 has a complete annular shape (cylindrical shape) without a defect, the degree of freedom of the layout is low. Therefore, the gear receiving portion U1 having such a form is employed while being an actuator. If it is attempted to reduce the size of Ac, there is a possibility that the layout of various parts constituting the actuator Ac may be restricted. That is, if the gear receiving portion U1 having such a configuration is employed, there is a limit to the reduction in size of the actuator Ac.

  Accordingly, the present inventor has advanced research and development to address the above-described problems of the prior art, and has come up with the present invention. That is, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a mirror surface angle adjusting device including a gear receiving portion that can realize downsizing of an actuator.

  More specifically, the mirror surface angle adjusting device according to one aspect of the present invention is a mirror surface angle adjusting device having a pivot plate attached to the rear surface side of the mirror and an actuator that holds the pivot plate. A rod that pushes and pulls the pivot plate, a motor that provides a driving force to the rod, a worm wheel that transmits the driving force of the motor to the rod, and an arcuate gear receiving portion that supports the worm wheel And a housing in which is formed.

  In short, the mirror surface angle adjusting device according to one aspect of the present invention has the greatest feature in that the gear receiving portion that supports the worm wheel has an arc shape. When the gear receiving portion is formed in an arc shape in this way, the volume of the gear receiving portion can be reduced as compared with the case where the gear receiving portion is formed in a complete annular shape without a missing portion, and thus the degree of freedom in layout. As a result, the housing can be downsized and the actuator can be downsized. Here, a gear receiving part is a site | part which supports at least one of the outer peripheral surface and end surface of a worm wheel. That is, the gear receiving portion is a portion that supports at least one of a radial load and a thrust load acting on the worm wheel. Here, the pivot plate holds the mirror, and is attached directly to the back surface of the mirror or indirectly via a mirror holder or the like.

  The central angle of the gear receiving portion is preferably larger than 180 degrees and smaller than 360 degrees. If it does in this way, it will become possible to support a worm wheel stably, As a result, it will become possible to control "shake" generated at the time of rotation of a worm wheel.

  In addition, it is preferable that at least two portions of the worm wheel that are opposed to each other with the rotation shaft therebetween are supported by the gear receiving portion. Even in this case, it is possible to stably support the worm wheel, and as a result, it is possible to suppress “blurring” that occurs when the worm wheel rotates.

In the present invention, the housing includes a bottom portion having an annular region and a gear installation region, and an annular receiving portion formed along an outer peripheral edge of the annular region, and the pivot plate includes the receiving plate. and the sliding portion of the slidably abutting annular section, the tip of the rod that are provided by the engaging portion to be engaged.

  In this way, the load acting on the mirror mainly acts on the receiving part, so even if there is a looseness in the connecting part of the rod and the pivot plate or there is a dimensional error or mounting error in the rod itself, It becomes possible to hold stably. Further, since the annular sliding portion formed on the pivot plate is in contact with the annular receiving portion formed on the housing, water and dust do not enter from the contacting portion. With respect to the periphery of the rod arranged inside the portion, it is possible to omit or simplify the measures against water stoppage. Here, the “annular” includes not only a complete “ring” that is not interrupted in the circumferential direction but also an incomplete “ring” that is discontinuous by a slit or the like.

  The housing may have a bowl shape, and the receiving portion may be formed at an edge of the housing.

  Since the stability of the mirror increases in proportion to the size of the receiving portion, it is desirable to make the receiving portion as large as possible. From the viewpoint of downsizing the mirror angle adjustment device, a housing can be made. Although it is desirable to make the housing as small as possible, if the housing is shaped like a bowl and the receiving portion is formed at the edge thereof, the receiving portion can be used by making the most of its size even if the housing is downsized. Since it will be formed, it is very reasonable. That is, according to this mirror surface angle adjusting device, it is possible to reduce the size of the housing while ensuring the size of the receiving portion capable of stably holding the mirror (that is, the pivot plate). It becomes possible to reduce the size of the apparatus.

In the present invention, prior to Symbol housing, wherein is provided an island portion formed on the inner side than the inner circumferential edge of the annular region, the gear receiving portion may be formed on the islands.

In this way, an annular gap (groove) is formed between the receiving portion and the island-like portion, so that the protruding end portion of the sliding portion of the pivot plate can be inserted deep into the housing. That is, according to this mirror surface angle adjusting device, it is possible to make the movable range of the pivot plate larger than when there is no annular gap (groove), or the movable range of the pivot plate is made to be an annular gap (groove). ), The housing can be downsized, and the mirror surface angle adjusting device can be downsized. In addition, a male thread part may protrude from the gear installation region of the housing, and a claw part that engages with the male thread part may be provided on the rod.

  The above aspects and advantages of the present invention, as well as other effects and further features, will become more apparent from the detailed description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the mirror surface angle adjustment apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of a pivot plate. (A) is X1-X1 sectional drawing of FIG. 2, (b) is X2-X2 sectional drawing of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of an actuator. It is a figure which shows the housing which comprises an actuator, Comprising: (a) is the perspective view which fractured | ruptured one part, (b) is the elements on larger scale of (a). It is a front view of the housing which comprises an actuator. (A) is X3-X3 sectional drawing of FIG. 6, (b) is X4-X4 sectional drawing of FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating arrangement | positioning of a groove. It is sectional drawing of the cover and press means which comprise an actuator. It is a perspective view of the rod and worm wheel which comprise an actuator. (A) is sectional drawing of the gear receiving part of a housing, and the gear holding part of a cover, (b) is sectional drawing of a rod and a worm wheel. (A) And (b) is sectional drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of the mirror surface angle adjustment apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of a housing, Comprising: It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the modification of a gear receiving part. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the mirror surface angle adjustment apparatus which concerns on a prior art. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the inside of the actuator of the mirror surface angle adjustment apparatus shown in FIG.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the following embodiment, the case where a mirror surface angle adjustment apparatus is incorporated in the outer mirror for rear view provided in the side part of a motor vehicle is illustrated. In addition, “front and rear”, “left and right”, and “up and down” in this specification are based on a state in which an outer mirror is attached to a side portion of an automobile.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the mirror surface angle adjusting device according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to the rear surface side (front side in the present embodiment) of the mirror M and holds the mirror M via a mirror holder (not shown). A plate H and an actuator A that holds the pivot plate H are provided. The actuator A is fixed to the mirror housing MH (see FIG. 14) or the support frame SF (see FIG. 14) integrally attached to the mirror housing MH.

(Pivot plate)
The pivot plate H includes an annular housing portion H1 formed at the center thereof, an inner annular portion H2 surrounding the housing portion H1, an outer annular portion H3 surrounding the inner annular portion H2, and an outer annular portion H3. A plurality of mirror mounting portions H4, H4,... Projecting outward, a plurality of connecting rods H5, H5,... Connecting the housing portion H1 and the inner annular portion H2, and a plurality connecting the inner annular portion H2 and the outer annular portion H3 , Connecting ribs H6, H6,.

  The accommodating portion H1 has a spherical shape, and its inner peripheral surface is formed into a spherical surface. Note that a support cap A41, which will be described later, is fitted into the housing portion H1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the inner annular portion H2 is formed with a plurality of first through holes H21, H21,... Having a circular shape and two second through holes H22, H22 having a rectangular shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, which is a sectional view taken along the line X2-X2 of FIG. 2, an engaging portion H23 having an inner surface formed into a spherical surface is formed on the back side (front side) of the second through hole H22. ing.

  The outer annular portion H3 includes an annular sliding portion H31 and an overhang portion H32 surrounding the sliding portion H31, as shown in FIG. 3A which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X1-X1 of FIG. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sliding portion H31 has a spherical shape, and its outer peripheral surface is formed into a spherical surface. A plurality of grooves 311, 311,... Facing the actuator A are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion H 31 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Each groove 311 is formed at a position facing the connecting rib H6. In the groove 311, a lubricant such as grease is stored.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the overhang portion H32 has a substantially inverted L-shaped cross section, and forms an accommodation groove H33 with the outer surface of the sliding portion H31. is doing.

  The mirror mounting portion H4 shown in FIG. 1 is a portion with which a hook (not shown) formed on the back side of the mirror holder (not shown) or the back side of the mirror M is engaged, and in this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the overhang portion H32 Projected to

  The connecting rod H5 is arranged so as to partition an annular space between the accommodating portion H1 and the inner annular portion H2, and together with the accommodating portion H1 and the inner annular portion H2, a fan-shaped opening H51 (see FIG. 2). Is forming.

  The connecting rib H6 is disposed so as to partition an annular space between the inner annular portion H2 and the outer annular portion H3. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the connecting rib H6 has a substantially triangular shape, and its end (front end) extends to the end (front end) of the sliding portion H31.

  The pivot plate H can be formed of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene (PP), or polyacetal (POM). In this case, the housing portion H1, the inner annular portion H2, the outer annular portion H3, the mirror mounting portion H4, the connecting rod H5, and the connecting rib H6 can be integrally formed.

(Actuator)
As shown in FIG. 1, the actuator A includes a housing A1 having a bowl shape, a cover A2 fixed to the housing A1, a pair of rods A3 and A3 for pushing and pulling the pivot plate H, and the pivot plate H. A pressing means A4 for pressing toward the A1 side and a pair of position sensors A5 and A5 provided for measuring the inclination of the pivot plate H are provided. Further, as shown in FIG. A pair of motors A6 and A6 that provide a driving force and a pair of gears A7 and A7 that transmit the driving force of the motors A6 and A6 to the rods A3 and A3 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the housing A1 includes a bottom portion A11, an annular peripheral wall portion A12 formed on the outer peripheral edge of the bottom portion A11, and an island-shaped portion A13 formed on the inner peripheral side of the bottom portion A11. And have.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom portion A11 includes a pair of annular regions 11a arranged so as to surround the island-shaped portion A13 and a pair of eroded island-shaped portions A13 on the inner peripheral side of the annular region 11a. Gear installation areas 11b, 11b and a plurality of cover installation areas 11c, 11c,. Here, of the pair of gear installation areas 11b and 11b, one gear installation area 11b is formed at the lowermost part of the annular area 11a, and the other gear installation area 11b is oblique to the one gear installation area 11b. It is formed above. Each gear installation region 11b has an arc at its outer edge, and a male threaded portion 111 projects from the center thereof (see FIG. 5A). A mounting hole 112 is formed in the center of each cover installation area 11c. The attachment hole 112 is formed at a position corresponding to the first through hole H21 of the pivot plate H shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the peripheral wall portion A12 is formed along the outer peripheral edge of the annular region 11a of the bottom portion A11. In this embodiment, the peripheral wall portion A12 has two annular regions 121 and 122 in the front and rear. ing. Hereinafter, the annular region 121 on the rear side is referred to as “receiving portion 121”, and the annular region 122 on the front side is referred to as “lubricant reservoir 122”. That is, the annular receiving portion 121 is formed at the rear edge of the housing A1.

  The receiving part 121 is a part that supports the sliding part H31 (see FIG. 1) of the pivot plate H in a tiltable manner, and has a spherical shape, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, The inner peripheral surface is formed into a spherical surface. 7A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X3-X3 in FIG. 6, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X4-X4 in FIG. Here, the radius of the spherical surface constituting the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion 121 is substantially equal to the radius of the spherical surface constituting the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion H31 of the pivot plate H (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). Are equal. That is, the receiving part 121 comes in slidable contact with the outer peripheral surface of the sliding part H31 of the pivot plate H (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). Moreover, as shown to (a) of FIG. 5, the some groove 121a, 121a, ... which goes to the lubricant reservoir part 122 is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the receiving part 121 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Yes. A lubricant such as grease is stored in the groove 121a. In addition, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 8, each groove 121a of the receiving part 121 is located between the grooves 311 and 311 adjacent in the circumferential direction of the sliding part H31. That is, each groove 121a on the support surface of the receiving portion 121 is formed at a position shifted from each groove 311 on the sliding surface of the sliding portion H31.

  The lubricant reservoir portion 122 shown in FIG. 5A also has a spherical shape, and its inner peripheral surface is formed into a spherical surface, but its inner diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the receiving portion 121. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a step is formed at the boundary portion between the receiving portion 121 and the lubricant reservoir portion 122. Note that a lubricant such as grease is applied to the lubricant reservoir 122, and the lubricant applied to the lubricant reservoir 122 is applied each time the pivot plate H (see FIG. 1) tilts (that is, Each time the sliding portion H31 (see FIG. 1) slides on the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion 121), each groove 121a of the receiving portion 121 and each groove 311 and 311 of the sliding portion H31 (see FIG. 1). (That is, after being temporarily stored) or directly from the lubricant reservoir 122 to the inner peripheral surface of the receiving portion 121 and the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion H31. A smooth tilting operation is maintained.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the island-shaped portion A13 is raised to the rear side of the annular region 11a of the bottom portion A11, and the outer peripheral edge (outer peripheral surface) 13a is spaced from the peripheral wall portion A12 and a gap (groove). Opposite to each other. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the island-shaped portion A13 is formed inside the annular region 11a of the bottom portion A11, and the outer peripheral edge 13a and the peripheral wall portion A12 of the island-shaped portion A13 are formed in the annular region of the bottom portion A11. It is opposed across 11a.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5A, the island-shaped portion A13 includes a pair of gear receiving portions 131 and 131 formed corresponding to the pair of male screw portions 111 and 111, and two motors A6 and A6. A motor accommodating part 132 for accommodating A6 (see FIG. 2), a pair of sensor mounting parts 133, 133 formed on both sides of the motor accommodating part 132, and a plurality of supports formed around each gear receiving part 131 It has wall part 134,134, ....

  The gear receiving portion 131 is a portion that supports the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion of a worm wheel A71 (see FIG. 4) described later, and is formed around the male screw portion 111 as shown in FIG. Yes. In the present embodiment, the gear receiving portion 131 has a substantially C shape (arc shape), and is formed on the inner peripheral side of the annular region 11a of the bottom portion A11. In this case, the volume of the gear receiving portion 131 can be reduced as compared with the case where the gear receiving portion 131 is formed in an annular shape without a missing portion, so that the degree of freedom in layout is high, resulting in the housing A1. It is possible to realize downsizing. Furthermore, even if water or the like enters the inside of the actuator A, the gear receiving portion 131 is not formed in a complete annular shape, and the opening (deletion portion) is an annular region 11a of the bottom portion A11. Therefore, there is no possibility that water or the like is collected in the inner peripheral portion of the gear receiving portion 131 (that is, around the male screw portion 111).

  The configuration of the gear receiving portion 131 will be described in more detail. The gear receiving portion 131 has a first arc surface 131a that faces the outer peripheral surface of the male screw portion 111, and an outer peripheral surface of the male screw portion 111 that faces the outer peripheral surface. And a third arc surface 131c formed between the first arc surface 131a and the second arc surface 131b. In addition, it is desirable that the center angle of each arc surface 131a, 131b, 131c (that is, the center angle θ of the gear receiving portion 131 (see FIG. 6)) is larger than 180 degrees and smaller than 360 degrees. This makes it possible to stably support the outer peripheral surface of the worm wheel A71 (that is, the radial load acting on the worm wheel A71), and as a result, occurs when the worm wheel A71 (see FIG. 4) rotates. It is possible to suppress “blurring” in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the motor housing portion 132 is formed from the center portion to the upper right portion of the island-shaped portion A13. In the present embodiment, the frame portion 132a having a substantially rectangular shape and the frame portion A plurality of ribs 132b, 132b,... Formed inside the 132a. The upper side of the frame portion 132a is formed in an arc shape along the outer peripheral edge 13a of the island-shaped portion A13, and notches 132c into which a worm A72 described later is inserted are formed in two places on the lower side of the frame portion 132a. Has been. The rib 132b is formed to match the outer shape of the motor A6 (see FIG. 4). In addition, terminal holes 132d are formed at three locations in the upper portion of the motor housing portion 132. If the terminal hole 132d is provided in the upper part of the housing A1, even if water enters the inside of the actuator A, the terminal of the motor A6 (see FIG. 4) is not immersed in water.

  A sensor mounting portion 133 shown in FIG. 5A is a part that accommodates various components constituting the position sensor A5 (see FIG. 1), and is formed in a cylindrical shape in this embodiment. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, one sensor attachment part 133 is formed in the uppermost part of island-like part A13 among a pair of sensor attachment parts 133,133, and the other sensor attachment part 133 is one side. The sensor mounting portion 133 is formed obliquely below. Here, the line segment connecting the male screw portion 111 and the sensor mounting portion 133 facing up and down across the motor housing portion 132 is the same as the line segment connecting the male screw portion 111 and sensor mounting portion 133 facing the left and right across the motor housing portion 132. Is orthogonal to the line segment connecting the two.

  The support wall portion 134 is a portion that supports a cover A2 (see FIG. 4) to be described later, and in this embodiment, the support wall portion 134 is formed at two large and small portions.

  The housing A1 can be formed of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene resin (ABS resin), polybutylene / terephthalate (PBT resin), or polyamide (PA). In this case, the bottom part A11, the peripheral wall part A12, and the island-like part A13 can be integrally formed.

  Moreover, the motor accommodating part 132, each sensor attaching part 133, and each support wall part 134 which are shown to (a) of FIG. 5 should just be formed in the inner peripheral side of the cyclic | annular area | region 11a of bottom part A11, and are not necessarily island-shaped parts. It is not necessary to be formed in A13. That is, it is not necessary to form the motor accommodating part 132, each sensor attaching part 133, and each support wall part 134 in the site | part raised rather than the bottom part A11.

  The cover A2 shown in FIG. 4 includes a main body A21 that covers the island-shaped part A13 (see FIG. 5A) of the housing A1, and a plurality of legs A22, A22,... Formed around the main body A21. have.

  The main body portion A21 includes a pair of gear holding portions 211 and 211 formed corresponding to the gear receiving portions 131 and 131 (see FIG. 5A), a motor cover portion 212 that closes the motor housing portion 132, and a sensor. A pair of ring portions 213 and 213 formed corresponding to the attachment portions 133 and 133, a boss 214 projecting from the rear surface of the motor cover portion 212, and a four-piece stopper disposed so as to surround the boss 214 215, 215,...

  The gear holding portion 211 is a portion that mainly holds a worm wheel A71, which will be described later, and holds the worm wheel A71 in a state in which the worm wheel A71 cannot be pulled out in the central axis direction and is rotatable around the central axis. The gear holding portion 211 is formed with a circular opening 211a. As shown in FIG. 11A, the peripheral portion on the housing A1 side of the opening 211a has a diameter larger than that of the opening 211a. A large annular step 211b is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 9, a cover-side motor housing portion 212 a corresponding to the motor housing portion 132 is recessed on the housing A <b> 1 side of the motor cover portion 212. When covered, a substantially watertight space is formed.

  The ring portion 213 shown in FIG. 4 is formed on the outer edge portion of the main body portion A21, and is mounted on the sensor attachment portion 133 when the cover A2 is assembled to the housing A1 (see FIG. 1).

  The boss 214 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and as shown in FIG. 9, a screw A43 for holding the support cap A41 is screwed therein.

  The stopper 215 shown in FIG. 4 is a part that restricts the pivot plate H (see FIG. 1) from rotating in the circumferential direction of the receiving part 121, and when the pivot plate H is assembled to the actuator A, a protruding end portion thereof. Enters the opening H51 (see FIG. 2) of the pivot plate H. As shown in FIG. 1, the stopper 215 is surrounded by the receiving portion 121 in a state where the cover A2 is assembled to the housing A1. As described above, when the stopper 215 is formed on the inner peripheral side of the housing A1, the internal space of the housing A1 can be used effectively, and as a result, the mirror angle adjustment device can be downsized.

  The leg A22 shown in FIG. 4 is formed at a position corresponding to the cover installation region 11c (see FIGS. 5A and 6) of the housing A1. The leg portion A22 includes a peripheral wall 221 having a substantially C shape, and as shown in FIG. 9, a screw hole 222 communicating with the mounting hole 112 of the housing A1 is formed at the bottom thereof. In order to fix the cover A2 to the housing A1, screws (not shown) are inserted from the rear side into the screw holes 222 of the cover A2 and the mounting holes 112 of the housing A1, and are shown on the shaft portions of the screws protruding forward. A nut may be screwed together. Since the position of the mounting hole 112 of the housing A1 and the position of the first through hole H21 of the pivot plate H correspond to each other, a tool (not shown) is inserted into the leg A22 from the first through hole H21. Can do.

  The cover A2 can be formed of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene resin (ABS resin), polybutylene / terephthalate (PBT resin), or polyamide (PA). In this case, the main body A21 and the leg A22 can be formed integrally.

  The rod A3 shown in FIG. 1 advances and retreats in the front-rear direction and pushes and pulls the pivot plate H. As shown in FIG. 10, a cylinder A31 and a pivot A32 formed at the tip of the cylinder A31 And a pair of flanges A33 and A33 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion A31.

  The cylinder portion A31 has a cylindrical shape, and is wrapped around the male screw portion 111 of the housing A1, as shown in FIG. The base end portion of the cylinder portion A31 is divided into a plurality of small pieces by a plurality of slits (see FIG. 10). A portion 312 is formed. Therefore, when the tube portion A31 is rotated around the central axis of the male screw portion 111, the pivot A32 moves forward or backward along the axial direction of the male screw portion 111.

  The outer surface of the pivot A32 is formed into a spherical surface, and engages with the engaging portion H23 of the pivot plate H shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the pivot A32 engages with the engaging portion H23 in a state in which it cannot be extracted, but its outer surface abuts slidably on the inner surface of the engaging portion H23.

  In the present embodiment, when the rod A3 arranged at the lower part of the housing A1 is moved forward and backward among the pair of rods A3 and A3 shown in FIG. 1, the pivot plate H (that is, the mirror M) is accommodated. When the other rod A3 is tilted up and down around the portion H1, the pivot plate H (that is, the mirror M) tilts left and right around the housing portion H1.

  The pressing means A4 shown in FIG. 1 is for urging the pivot plate H to the front side (that is, the actuator A side) and coupling the pivot plate H to the actuator A while maintaining the urged state. A support cap A41 that is inserted into the housing portion H1 of the pivot plate H, a biasing member A42 that applies a pressing force to the support cap A41, a screw A43 that is screwed to the boss 214 of the actuator A, and a screw A43. The washer A44 is provided.

  The support cap A41 has a spherical belt shape, and its outer peripheral surface is formed into a spherical surface. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the radius of the spherical surface constituting the outer peripheral surface of the support cap A41 is substantially equal to the radius of the spherical surface constituting the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating portion H1 of the pivot plate H. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the support cap A41 slidably contacts the inner peripheral surface of the housing portion H1 of the pivot plate H.

  The biasing member A42 is mounted between the support cap A41 and the washer A44 in a compressed state, and presses the support cap A41 toward the actuator A by its restoring force. In the present embodiment, the coil spring is used as the biasing member A42, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this.

  The washer A44 is formed in a size and shape substantially equal to the rear end face of the support cap A41. This prevents the support cap A41 from being removed from the housing portion H1.

  Note that the configuration of the pressing unit A4 is not limited to the illustrated configuration as long as the support cap A41 can be pressed to the actuator A side. For example, although not shown, a disc spring may be used as the biasing member A42. In this case, the disc spring is disposed at the position of the washer A44.

  The position sensor A5 shown in FIG. 1 is arranged for the purpose of detecting the inclination of the pivot plate H, and is attached to the sensor mounting portion 133 in this embodiment. Note that the structure / form of the position sensor A5 is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, the position sensor A5 is provided with a contact. This contact is attached to the sensor attachment portion 133 in a state of being biased toward the pivot plate H, and its tip always contacts the front side (back side) of the pivot plate H, and the pivoting operation of the pivot plate H is performed. Follow and follow. Then, by measuring the advance / retreat amount (protrusion amount) of the contact, the state (degree of inclination) of the pivot plate H can be detected.

  A motor A6 shown in FIG. 4 includes a motor main body A61 and a pair of male terminals A62 and A62 protruding from the motor main body A61. The pair of male terminals A62, A62 is connected to the adapter A63. The adapter A63 is interposed between a pair of motors A6 and A6 arranged in parallel and a terminal plate A64 attached to the front side of the housing A1, and is opposed to the pair of motors A6 and A6. A total of four female terminals 631 to which a total of four male terminals A62 of the pair of motors A6, A6 can be connected are formed on the surface to be faced, and the terminal hole 132d ( Three female terminals (not shown) corresponding to (a) of FIG. 5 are formed. One of the two female terminals 631 and 631 to which the male terminals A62 and A62 of one motor A6 are connected and the two female terminals 631 and 631 to which the male terminals A62 and A62 of the other motor A6 are connected. One of them is short-circuited inside the adapter A63.

  The gear A7 shown in FIG. 4 includes a worm wheel A71 that is mounted around the male threaded portion 111 of the housing A1, and a worm A72 that is attached to the output shaft of the motor A6. The worm A72 meshes with the gear portion 711 (see FIG. 10) of the worm wheel A71 and transmits the rotational force of the motor A6 to the worm wheel A71.

  The worm wheel A71 transmits the rotational force of the motor A6 transmitted from the worm A72 to the rod A3, and has a clearance capable of accommodating the rod A3 between the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the male screw portion 111. It is mounted on the male screw part 111.

  The configuration of the worm wheel A71 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 10, the worm wheel A71 includes an annular gear portion 711 having teeth formed on the outer peripheral surface, and an inner peripheral surface side of the gear portion 711. The formed outer tube portion 712, the inner tube portion 713 formed on the inner peripheral surface side of the outer tube portion 712, and the locking portion 714 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the inner tube portion 713, It has.

  The outer cylindrical portion 712 has a front end portion and a rear end portion protruding from the gear portion 711 (see FIG. 11B), and an outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion is formed into a cylindrical surface. Note that the cylindrical surface at the front end of the outer cylindrical portion 712 is slidably in contact with the second arc surface 131b of the gear receiving portion 131 of the housing A1 shown in FIG. 5B (FIG. 11). (See (a) and (b) of FIG. 11), the entire circumference of the cylindrical surface of the rear end portion is slidably brought into contact with the annular stepped portion 211b of the cover A2 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the inner cylindrical portion 713 has a front end portion and a rear end portion protruding from the outer cylindrical portion 712, and an outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion is formed into a cylindrical surface. The inner cylinder portion 713 is divided into a plurality of (four in this embodiment) pieces 713b, 713b,... By a plurality of slits 713a, 713a,. Further, the cylindrical surface of the front end portion of the inner cylindrical portion 713 is slidably contacted with the first arc surface 131a of the gear receiving portion 131 of the housing A1 shown in FIG. 5B (see FIG. 11). (See (a) and (b) of FIG. 11), the entire circumference of the cylindrical surface of the rear end portion is slidably brought into contact with the opening 211a of the cover A2 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the slit 713 a is formed continuously along the central axis direction of the inner cylinder portion 713. Further, the flange A33 of the rod A3 is engaged with the slit 713a.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the locking portion 714 includes a protrusion that protrudes along the circumferential direction of the inner cylinder portion 713 on the outer surface of the rear end portion of the inner cylinder portion 713, and is shown in FIG. As shown, the gear holder 211 is locked to the periphery of the opening 211a. This prevents the worm wheel A71 from being removed from the opening 211a. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, it is good also considering the groove provided concavely along the circumferential direction of the inner cylinder part 713 as the latching | locking part 714. In this case, a protrusion that fits in the groove may be formed in the opening 211a of the gear holding portion 211.

  In order to assemble the worm wheel A71 having such a configuration to the actuator A, the cover A2 may be fixed to a predetermined position of the housing A1 after the rear end portion is held by the gear holding portion 211 of the cover A2. . In order to engage the rear end part of the worm wheel A71 with the gear holding part 211 of the cover A2, the rear end part of the inner cylinder part 713 of the worm wheel A71 is elastically deformed inward while the opening part of the gear holding part 211 is used. It may be inserted into 211a and the locking portion 714 may be locked to the periphery of the opening 211a of the gear holding portion 211.

  When such a worm wheel A71 mounting structure is adopted, the worm wheel A71 is pulled out in the central axis direction (front-rear direction) simply by fitting the rear end of the worm wheel A71 into the gear holding portion 211 of the cover A2. Since it is held in the gear holder 211 in a state where it cannot be moved and slidably rotated around the central axis (circumferential direction), it is possible to easily and quickly determine the axis. As a result, it is possible to simplify the assembling work of the actuator A. In the present embodiment, at the front end portion of the worm wheel A71, at least a half circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 713 abuts on the first arc surface 131a of the gear receiving portion 131 shown in FIG. Since more than half of the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion 712 is in contact with the second arc surface 131b of the gear receiving portion 131 shown in FIG. 5B, the front end portion of the worm wheel A71 does not shake vertically and horizontally.

  Here, the operation of the actuator A will be described with reference to FIGS. When a motor (not shown) or the like is controlled to rotate the motor A6 in an appropriate direction, the rotational force of the motor A6 is transmitted to the worm wheel A71 via the worm A72, and the worm wheel A71 causes the male threaded portion 111 of the housing A1 to move. Rotate to center. When the worm wheel A71 rotates, the flange A33 (see FIG. 10) of the rod A3 is engaged with the slit 713a (see FIG. 10) of the worm wheel A71 in a relatively non-rotatable state. In conjunction with this, the rod A3 rotates around the male threaded portion 111. Further, since the claw portion 312 (see FIG. 11) of the rod A3 is screwed into the thread of the male screw portion 111, the rod A3 rotates around the male screw portion 111 while the male screw portion 111 Advancing or retreating along the axial direction, as a result, the pivot plate H is pushed back and forth by this rod A3, and the pivot plate H tilts with respect to the actuator A ((a) and (in FIG. 12). b)).

  In the mirror angle adjustment device configured as described above, the rods A3 and A3 of the actuator A that pushes and pulls the pivot plate H are arranged inside the receiving portion 121 that supports the pivot plate H, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the load acting on the mirror M mainly acts on the receiving portion 121. Therefore, the mirror M can be stably held even when the connecting portion between the rod A3 and the pivot plate H is loose or when the rod A3 itself has a dimensional error or a mounting error. In addition, since the annular sliding portion H31 formed on the pivot plate H always abuts on the annular receiving portion 121 formed on the housing A1, water or dust may enter from the abutting portion. Therefore, it is possible to omit or simplify the water stop measures for the periphery of the rod A3 arranged inside the receiving portion 121.

  Since the stability of the mirror increases in proportion to the size of the receiving part 121, it is desirable to enlarge the receiving part 121 as much as possible. From the viewpoint of downsizing the mirror surface angle adjusting device, Since it is desirable to make the housing A1 as small as possible, in this embodiment, the shape of the housing A1 is a bowl shape, and the receiving portion 121 is formed at the edge of the housing A1 in order to maximize the size of the housing A1. The housing A1 can be reduced in size while ensuring the size of the receiving portion 121 that can stably hold the pivot plate H. As a result, the mirror angle adjusting device can be reduced in size. Become.

  Further, in this mirror surface angle adjusting device, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the gear receiving portion 131 of the housing A1 is formed in a substantially C shape (arc shape). The volume of the gear receiving portion 131 can be reduced as compared with a case where the gear receiving portion 131 is formed in an annular shape without any gap, and as a result, the housing A1 can be downsized. Furthermore, even if water enters the inside of the actuator A, the gear receiving portion 131 is not formed in a complete annular shape, so that water is not formed in its inner peripheral portion (that is, around the male screw portion 111). There is no fear of accumulating.

  Furthermore, in this mirror surface angle adjusting device, as shown in FIG. 5A, the island-shaped portion A13 that is raised from the bottom portion A11 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the annular region 11a of the bottom portion A11. An annular gap (groove) is formed between the peripheral wall portion A12 and the island-shaped portion A13. As a result, as shown in FIG. It becomes possible to enter deep into the housing A1. That is, according to this mirror surface angle adjusting device, it is possible to make the movable range of the pivot plate H larger than in the case where there is no annular gap (groove), or the movable range of the pivot plate H is set to the annular gap. When it is set to be the same as that without the (groove), it is possible to reduce the size of the housing A1, and thus it is possible to reduce the size of the mirror angle adjustment device.

  In this mirror surface angle adjusting device, as shown in FIG. 12B, the mirror mounting portion H4 of the pivot plate H protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the overhanging portion H32 and is slid by the overhanging portion H32. Since the annular housing groove H33 is formed around the portion H31, when the pivot plate H is tilted, the protruding end portion of the receiving portion 121 of the housing A1 enters the housing groove H33 and contacts the mirror mounting portion H4. There is no. That is, according to this mirror surface angle adjusting device, it is possible to make the movable range of the pivot plate H larger than in the case where there is no annular housing groove H33, or the movable groove H33 can move the movable range of the pivot plate H. In the case where the same setting is made, the pivot plate H can be downsized, and consequently the mirror angle adjusting device can be downsized.

  The exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but various modifications and changes may be made to this embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. Is possible.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, a housing having a bowl shape is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the form is not limited as long as it includes an annular receiving portion. Also, the form of the pivot plate is not limited as long as it has an annular sliding portion.

  Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the mirror surface angle adjusting device is configured such that the sliding portion of the pivot plate enters the inside of the receiving portion of the actuator. However, the receiving portion of the actuator enters the inside of the sliding portion of the pivot plate. Even if it is a structure, it does not interfere. In other words, the mirror surface angle adjusting device may be configured such that the inner peripheral surface of the sliding portion of the pivot plate and the outer peripheral surface of the receiving portion of the actuator are in contact with each other.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the substantially C-shaped gear receiving portion 131 (see FIG. 6) supports half or more of the outer peripheral surface of the worm wheel A71 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a worm wheel A71 (see FIG. 10) is formed by arc-shaped gear receiving portions 131 ′ and 131 ′ formed on island-like portions A13 ′ and A13 ′ facing each other with the male screw portion 111 interposed therebetween. ) May be configured to support the outer peripheral surface. In this case, the outer peripheral surface of the worm wheel A71 is supported by the gear receiving portions 131 'and 131' at least two portions facing each other with the rotation axis (center axis) interposed therebetween. Further, even with such a gear receiving portion 131 ′, it is possible to reduce its volume as compared with a complete annular (cylindrical) gear receiving portion without a missing portion, and as a result, the housing A1 can be reduced in size. It can be realized. In addition, in FIG. 13, illustration of a motor accommodating part etc. is abbreviate | omitted.

Claims (6)

A pivot plate attached to the back side of the mirror;
A mirror surface angle adjusting device having an actuator for holding the pivot plate,
The actuator pushes and pulls the pivot plate, a motor that provides driving force to the rod, a worm wheel that transmits the driving force of the motor to the rod, and an arcuate gear that supports the worm wheel A housing formed with a receiving portion ,
The housing has a bottom portion having an annular region and a gear installation region, and an annular receiving portion formed along an outer peripheral edge of the annular region,
The pivot plate includes a sliding portion that slidably contacts the receiving portion, and an engaging portion that engages the tip of the rod,
The gear installation region is formed so as to be in contact with the inner peripheral edge of the annular region,
The mirror angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the gear receiving portion is disposed around the gear installation region, and a portion facing the annular region is missing . The housing has an island-like portion formed inside the inner peripheral edge of the annular region, and a male screw portion protruding from the gear installation region,
The gear receiving portion is formed on the island-shaped portion,
The mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the rod has a claw portion screwed into the male screw portion. The mirror angle adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a central angle of the gear receiving portion is larger than 180 degrees and smaller than 360 degrees. The specular angle adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein at least two portions of the worm wheel that are opposed to each other with a rotation axis therebetween are supported by the gear receiving portion. The housing has a bowl shape,
The mirror angle adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the receiving portion is formed at an edge portion of the housing. Mirror surface angle adjusting device according to claim 5, the outer peripheral surface of the sliding portion of the pivot plate on the inner peripheral surface of the front Symbol receiving portion and said contact Tei Rukoto.

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